Latinx Shakespeares: Staging U.S. Intracultural Theater

Latinx peoples and culture have significantly influenced Shakespearean performance in the US for over 75 years, but this presence has been overlooked in recent global Shakespeare studies. Latinx Shakespeares is the first-ever book to explore the history, dramaturgy, and language of Latinx-themed Shakespearean productions in the US since the 1960s, focusing on textual analysis and interdisciplinary theoretical lenses. It reclaims Shakespeare as a borrower, adapter, and creator of language whose oeuvre has been mobilized for cultural specific English-language whiteness.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2023
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Latinx peoples and culture have deeply influenced Shakespearean performance in the United States for over 75 years, a phenomenon that has largely been overlooked in recent years as Shakespeare studies has taken a global turn. In her book, "Latinx Shakespeares," author Carla Della Gatta argues that theater-makers and historians must acknowledge this presence and influence to fully engage with the complexity of American Shakespeares.

Latinx Shakespeares explores the history, dramaturgy, and language of over 140 Latinx-themed Shakespearean productions in the United States since the 1960s, a period marked by iconic works like West Side. Side Story. This groundbreaking book offers a new methodology for reading ethnic theater, prioritizing aural signifiers such as music, accents, and the Spanish language. It focuses on textual adaptations or performances that bring Shakespearean plays, stories, or characters to life through stage techniques, aesthetics, art-making processes, and storytelling modes. The case studies span large repertory theaters, small community theaters, and established directors to emerging playwrights.

To analyze these productions, the book draws on interviews with practitioners, script analysis, first-hand practitioner insight, and interdisciplinary theoretical lenses, largely by scholars of color. Latinx Shakespeares aims to heal by reclaiming Shakespeare as a borrower, adapter, and creator of language whose oeuvre has too often been mobilized in the service of culturally specific English-language whiteness that cannot extricate itself from its origins within the establishment of European/British colonialism/imperialism.

In conclusion, Latinx Shakespeares is a vital contribution to Shakespeare studies, shedding light. light on the rich and diverse contributions of Latinx artists to the world of theater. By highlighting the historical and cultural significance of Latinx-themed Shakespearean productions, the book encourages scholars to recognize the importance of acknowledging and engaging with the diversity of voices in Shakespe.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472055777